Heart-y tail

Credit: Copyright Mark Witton, modified

Some of the titanosaur's tail bones look like hearts, the researchers found. Highlighted are a selection of the bones that the researchers found belonging to this M. moyowamkia individual, which was a teenager when it died.

Rock climbing

Credit: Patrick O'Connor/Ohio University

Paleontologists found the dinosaur's bones in a cliff overlooking the Mtuka River in southwestern Tanzania. They had to rock climb to excavate the fossils. Here, the team does a survey of the bone containing layer during the 2007 field season.

Cliff platform

Credit: Anna Jerve

The paleontologists had to create a ledge on which they could work while excavating the fossils. The team included (right to left) Don DeBlieux, Joseph Sertich, Patrick O'Connor, Tobin Hieronymus, Nancy Stevens and the late Jesuit Temba.

Plaster cast

Scenic view

A scenic view up the river from the dinosaur quarry. Notice the many sedimentary layers in the cliff.

Titanosaur excavation

Credit: Patrick O'Connor/Ohio University

To protect the fossils, the researchers covered them with plaster jackets. A later analysis of these fossils revealed that M. moyowamkia is related to other titanosaurs in Africa, as well as those in South America.

As a senior writer for Live Science, Laura Geggel covers general science, including the environment, archaeology and amazing animals. She has written for The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science and Spectrum, a site covering autism research. Laura grew up in Seattle and studied English literature and psychology at Washington University in St. Louis before completing her graduate degree in science writing at NYU. When not writing, you'll find Laura playing Ultimate Frisbee. Follow Laura on Google+.

Heart-y tail

Credit: Copyright Mark Witton, modified

Some of the titanosaur's tail bones look like hearts, the researchers found. Highlighted are a selection of the bones that the researchers found belonging to this M. moyowamkia individual, which was a teenager when it died.

Rock climbing

Credit: Patrick O'Connor/Ohio University

Paleontologists found the dinosaur's bones in a cliff overlooking the Mtuka River in southwestern Tanzania. They had to rock climb to excavate the fossils. Here, the team does a survey of the bone containing layer during the 2007 field season.

Cliff platform

Credit: Anna Jerve

The paleontologists had to create a ledge on which they could work while excavating the fossils. The team included (right to left) Don DeBlieux, Joseph Sertich, Patrick O'Connor, Tobin Hieronymus, Nancy Stevens and the late Jesuit Temba.

Plaster cast

Scenic view

A scenic view up the river from the dinosaur quarry. Notice the many sedimentary layers in the cliff.

Titanosaur excavation

Credit: Patrick O'Connor/Ohio University

To protect the fossils, the researchers covered them with plaster jackets. A later analysis of these fossils revealed that M. moyowamkia is related to other titanosaurs in Africa, as well as those in South America.